Sad to see this morning that Sly Dunbar has died. It used to be easy buying dub reggae; you just looked for Sly & Robbie's names on the back and you knew the drums & bass would be good! Also saw them live 2 or 3 times - great stuff, especially their own short set supporting Grace Jones years ago...

Here's this week's link to the new titles in at Transreal Fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2026/01/23/t...

I need at least 3 more folk to sign up for my Edinburgh Adult Education Programme archaeology classes at Craigentinny, or the course will be cancelled. If you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know. Thank you! adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spyd...

And he's finally away after several minutes of annoying everybody

Ridiculously loud noise outside, which turns out to be an idling motorbike 30 yards up the road...

Just had Marieanne Gordon in signing her new paperback, The Antlered King...

Here's this week's link to the new titles at Transreal Fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2026/01/16/t...

Gutted to hear that Bob Weir has died. I've been a fan since the Skull & Roses live album my brother bought and didn't like! So glad we made the trip to see him play the Albert Hall with Wolf Bros. last summer. RIP Bobby.

We promised it and now we're delivering! It's January 2026 and it's time for Episode 1 of the new season of 'How light is it in #Orkney at 5pm this week!' The snow delayed things a bit so now we're just going to give it to you straight up. No messing. It's THIS LIGHT! 💡

The first link of the new year for the new books in at Transreal Fiction! transreal.wordpress.com/2026/01/09/t...

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🎆

That's it! Transreal Fiction is now closed fo a New Year break until Wednesday 7th January at noon. Happy New Year to you all from e and Raffles!

A great welcome back after a couple of days off - a big load of quite smelly dogshit right under one of my shop windows... Cleaning it up was a not a good start to the day!

Saddened to find that artist Joe Servello died age 93 back on 13th October. I loved his art in William Kotzwinkle's books esp Herr Nightingale and the Satin Woman, which had dozens of his b&w pieces in it. And the full colour work in the 2 Inspector Mantis books sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/servel...

Scottish mathematician, astronomer & polymath Mary Somerville was born #OTD in 1780. #WomenInSTEM William Whewell coined the term "scientist" in a review of Somerville's book, 𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. Used as gender-neutral term as the common term at the time was "man of science."

Should have finished this Christmas re-read on Xmas Eve but overran.a little. Still v good, with a very messed up cast of characters, but it all comes (sort of) good in the end! I guess I first read it back in 1982!

Just been chatting to Matt from Mr Wood's Fossils, so I guess they've closed up for Christmas now... I;ll be closing in a bit so I'll say have a Merry Christmas bow before I close. Open again on Saturday.

This weel's link to the new titles at Transreal Fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2025/12/23/t... Not many, and no more expected this week. Open part of Wednesday and then on Saturday...

Just completed final watch through of the finished ROGUE TROOPER film… 25 years of pestering @2000ad.bsky.social to let me give it a shot, 3 years of production to make the thing & now… it’s DONE! Can’t wait for you to see it. So, so proud of our team. We’ve made something a bit special. ❤️

Lovely chat, this. Including tantalising idea for unwritten Culture novel (man has weapon with his own memories encoded in the ammo) 👇

This week's loink to the new titles at Transreal Fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2025/12/12/t... I'll be closed on Sunday but open on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday (although I'll be closing early sometime after 15.00 that day)

Once he bestrode the field like a colossus. Now he's gone. Rest in peace, John Varley. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/12/john...

Happy birthday to Dick Van Dyke. Years of happy memories of watching him and Mary Tyler Moore (and Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam) with my parents. And we’ve finally moved on from making fun of his accent to realise he’s the electrical current that makes Mary Poppins work as well as it does.

Sorry to hear this news, he was definitely one of the big names in the 1980s although he didn't publish much in the '90s. Favourite from his early days was Millennium (better than the film!) and later on I enjoyed Red Thunder and it's first couple of sequels...

I remember seeing him do Parliamo Glasgow when he was playing the Dame in a couple of Edinburgh pantos in the 1960s... Had the audience in fits!

This week's link to the new titles at Transreal Fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2025/12/12/t...

Transreal Fiction's opening hours over the Festive season: transreal.wordpress.com/2025/12/10/f... These are the days I'll be open, not the days I'll be closed!

Always liked Dimension of Miracles... Still got my old Mayflower edition

Thank you all, the update than we can barely believe we get to make. To everyone who supported us through this last month, we couldn’t have even come close to this outcome without you all. Have a peaceful festive period, we’ll see you in the bookshop soon 🧡

If you happen to be in and around Leith this weekend then I would advise popping into Coburgh House. Artists, craft are showing and selling their wares for this weekend only.. #Leith #Edinburgh

Just had the original Science Fiction Bookshop founder, Rob King, in the shop, still doing well despite leaving Edinburgh 45 years ago! ;-) And by chance a customer from back in his day was in the shop at the time! Much astonishment on both sides!

Here's this week's link to the new titles received at Transreal Fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2025/12/05/t...

Eleven years ago, I wrote to Tom Stoppard to ask about this coup de théâtre from 1949. It took me down an unexpected rabbit hole - in memory of Stoppard, here's what I found.

Here's this week's link to the new titles at Transreal Fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2025/11/28/t... I also have a bunch of recent h/cs at reduced prices...

UNBOUND AUTHORS: Leftover copies of your books in the UK (MacMillan) warehouse will be pulped within the next week or two. DM me for a link to the warehouse stock list and contacts. If you have no dosh, another publisher (Wilton Sq) is willing to buy the books & distribute on a 50/50 profit split

Looking forward to this! I’ll be on a panel in the afternoon as well, so a proper chance to meet lovely creators! The event is organised by Women Who Write, based in Edinburgh 💙 @edinburghbookshop.bsky.social @charcopress.com @miketransreal.bsky.social

probabilistic parrot!

Get your geek on with knitted cellular automata! Today and tomorrow at the National Galleries Scotland:Portrait www.nationalgalleries.org/event/tea-gr...

here's this week's link to the new titles at Transreal Fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2025/11/21/t...

Scott's stand is principled. I'm so disappointed that the company that bought the print magazines is blaming authors rather than taking responsibility for their own bad contract and changing it for everyone.

We need your help. @waterstones.bsky.social, without any direct communication with us, will be opening their 6th Edinburgh branch less than 100 metres from our front door at the Foot of the Walk in Leith. Please read on for more information www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562908... (1/2)

Brian was also a passionate artist. what he called his isolées are exhibited here online for the very first time, in part to celebrate his centenary year, but also, mostly, as they are just lovely to view! brianaldiss.co.uk/artwork/ Here's just a few but please visit the page to browse more ^TA

fyi, the junction from Forest Road onto G4B is again closed for water/drainage work of some sort...

This week's link to the new titles at Transreal fiction: transreal.wordpress.com/2025/11/14/t...

For the next three weekends, you can find my latest work in Coburg House Gallery Shop Spotlight display. The basis for this work is an agar pattern in Conway's Game of Life. It was the subject of new research in 2022. It's all knitted in Aran-weight lambswoolspun and dyed in Scotland.

Pictcon is officially up and running in the lovely city of Perth. Brilliant to see Scottish SF and Fantasy being celebrated by our excellent community.